Imaximum Impact

Catch Some Really Big Flicks Now Showing At Three Local Museums

January 18, 2002|By MIKE HOLTZCLAW Daily Press

You've seen all the holiday blockbusters, and you've caught the late entries to the Oscar hunt. But if you think that means you've taken in all the movie fare that's out there, you might be mistaken. If you're limiting yourself to the cinema, that is.

More and more fans are discovering -- or re-discovering -- the really big screens in the movie world, the gigantic IMAX screens that are showing wide varieties of films across the country. We have three of the screens right in our area -- two in Hampton Roads and one in Richmond.

For more than a decade now, large-format films have created a niche in the entertainment industry. They are produced and screened with equipment made by the Toronto-based IMAX Corp., though not all of the films are made by IMAX. The format is best known for exotic travelogues and nature films, with the stunningly sharp images and 50-foot high screens placing viewers in the middle of the picture.

But while more traditional large-format films, such as the current Virginia Air & Space Center feature "Bears," continue to do well, IMAX has made the biggest news in recent years with more diverse subjects. Last year, Michael Jordan and 'N Sync were big hits on the IMAX screen, and in recent weeks Disney's re-release of 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" has been one of the nation's most popular films. It is currently showing at museums in Virginia Beach and Richmond.

"Right now, the films are popular enough that the company is having trouble putting out enough films to meet the demands of the customers," said Kim Hinson, deputy director at the Air & Space Center in Hampton. "The films are expensive to make, and they take a long time, and so they can't just crank them out real fast, so that makes it hard to keep up with the customers, because they want something new every few months."

"Beauty and the Beast" grossed more than $2.073 million last week, placing it 15th on the national box office chart.

But wait.

The film is playing in just 68 American IMAX theaters, giving it a per-screen average of more than $30,000. By comparison, the nation's top film, "The Lord of the Rings," averaged about $5,000 on each of its more than 3,000 screens.

The Disney film has been a hit at the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach and at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, with brisk advance ticket sales and steady attendance each day.

Though it differs from the usual fare at those museum's theaters -- the Marine Science Museum's other current features are "Whales" and "Into the Deep" -- the staffs have worked to create educational programs that use Disney's themes to draw moviegoers into the museum's exhibits.

"It's been a nice change of pace for us," says Joan Barnes, spokeswoman for the Virginia Beach museum. "It's good to see families coming into the museum in the evening to see a movie, and hopefully it's had a carryover effect to the rest of our exhibits as well."

In fact, the film might even have a carry-over effect to other museums. Hinson said the Air & Space Center still gets inquiries every day about whether it is featuring "Beauty and the Beast." While the answer is no, Hinson says she makes it a point to tell each caller what films the museum is currently showing. Also, "Beauty and the Beast" has introduced new fans to the IMAX technology, fans who have, in turn, gone to check out other films on the big screens.

"You have two different kinds of fans," Hinson says. "You have the diehard IMAX fans who want to see every IMAX film out there because they like the format and they like the experience. And then you have the people who are interested in a particular topic, so they'll go and see an IMAX film that has that specific appeal to them, whether it's 'Everest' or 'Michael Jordan' or 'Bears' or something else."

CURRENTLY SHOWING ON AREA IMAX SCREENS

* VIRGINIA AIR & SPACE CENTER

Museum is at 600 Settler's Landing Road in Hampton. IMAX tickets are $6 adults, $5 for seniors, children, military and NASA employees. IMAX tickets can also be purchased in conjunction with admission to museum exhibits. For showtimes, advance tickets and other information, call 727-0900 or visit the Web site at www.vasc.org.

"Bears" -- A look at grizzlies and other bears in their natural environments.

"The Old Man and the Sea" -- Animated retelling of Ernest Hemingway's legendary tale, along with a documentary about the author's life.